October 2014

Browsing All Posts published on »October, 2014«

Ever have a friend who……?

October 30, 2014

Have you ever had a friend who covered your tracks even though they shouldn’t? Ever have a friend who made you laugh so hard you sprayed Coca-Cola from your nose? More than once. Ever have a friend who answered his phone angry and rude, and then heard it was you and changed his tune? Every […]

Hometown boy tosses hat in ring for Gary mayor

October 30, 2014

I recently stumbled across the following column from 2011, when I “announced my candidacy for Gary mayor” as a joke. Little did I expect that so many readers, citizens and region residents would take it seriously and even pledge their support and campaign donations. It still cracks me up. After months of legal loopholes and […]

Campaign signs don’t vote, but they still count in political races

October 22, 2014

Political campaign signs have always intrigued me. With Election Day just around the corner, it’s impossible to miss all the signs sprouting like weeds in residents’ yards, along public roads, and even in vacant lots. But what good are they? The old adage is, “Yard signs don’t vote,” but of course name recognition matters. This […]

Best campaign strategy: Pounding pavement, shaking hands, listening

October 21, 2014

Say what you will about costly billboards, cyberspace campaigns, and glitzy, glossy brochures, but the best campaign strategy is still pounding the pavement, shaking voters’ hands, and knocking on their doors while handing out fliers or promises. Meeting candidates face to face, even for a few minutes of driveway conversation, always sways me one way […]

What really scares you? I mean, seriously frightens you?

October 10, 2014

What really scares you? I mean, seriously frightens you? With Halloween on the horizon, surely it can’t be ghouls, ghosts and goblins, or slasher movies, haunted houses and silly costumes. Through the years, I’ve asked readers this same simple question. Their responses have run the gamut, from cliché to candid, and heartfelt to hilarious. For […]

Ebola fears infecting us with… mass hypochondria

October 10, 2014

Not surprisingly in America the Paranoid, the fear of contracting Ebola is already triggering mass hypochondria with thousands of false-alarm visits at hospital emergency rooms across the country, health officials report. Chicken Little-types and political nut-jobs are screaming to others, “Contagion terrorism!” and “Obama’s African connection!” and the “Rampant vector of infection is God’s will!” […]